AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Omega.”
I have to turn. I don’t really have a choice. But I think I want to, anyway, if only out of sheer curiosity.
Now he’s talking to me? While I’m a hot mess? Admitting I’m basically defective?
Yes. His eyes flash the word at me, along with one other. Now.
I work my way down a step, the elevation putting us nearly face-to-face over the clear glass railing.
And, lord, he’s beautiful. I can’t seem to get used to it. Every time I look at him, the perfection of his features stuns me all over again.
Bright blue eyes snap, full of fire and fury. He flicks that gaze down my body and back up before leaning onto his heels and crossing his arms over his chest. In an onyx Ospreys’ tank with oversized armholes, I see every muscle in his arms, shoulders, and obliques, each one cinched tight.
“Well,” he says, smirking as he waits for me to work my eyes back up to his. “Tell me, do you deserve a nest?”
Low warnings rumble out of each of the others; but, weirdly, I’m not offended. He isn’t taunting me. He’s challenging me. Seeing if I have what it takes to seize this thing I only just realized I’ve always wanted. Asking me what I think I’m worth.
At first, it’s terrifying. Is he really going to make me say no in front of these men? Will he actually embarrass me like that?
Except, it wouldn’t be him, would it? It would be me. Embarrassing myself. Selling myself short. Giving up before I even have a chance to try.
And deep down, something in me snaps. Or unlocks. Instincts I’ve buried so insistently rush up, speaking for me. “Every omega deserves a nest.”
I brace for a cruel sneer or some sort of jab. But Declan simply nods. His eyes spark with something a little bit like pride. “All right then. Let’s go, princess.”
chapter
thirty-three
Good thing Archer’s a doctor because Theo’s elbow will have to be surgically removed from my ribs.
I swear the asshole stabs me with it every forty seconds. For good shit and bad shit.
I’m on the receiving end of a hard nudge every time the omega does anything remotely tolerable—like playing music in the car that doesn’t make me want to hurl.
And every time I say or do anything he considers rude—so, like, every time I speak.
If I wasn’t so disgruntled by this whole situation, I might be happy for the fucker. We’ve been best friends our whole lives, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen his big, exuberant ass this happy.
Ronan drives, even though we’re all piled into Theo’s G-Wagon. The Mercedes SUV is the only car large enough to fit all of us. My Bugatti only has two seats. Ronan’s Rolls and Archer’s Bentley are both sedans. Meg would be squished between whoever rode in the back with her.
A stab of panic nails my lungs when I think about it. Which is irritating. Because I’ve decided not to care about her.
I have no desire to watch her suffer or anything. I just don’t want to be hers. She can have my knot during her heat and shared rights to my packmates. Maybe. Other than that, as long as she’s safe… I don’t really care.
Liar, the voice in my head hisses.
All right, fine. So I care. I care way too fucking much. So much that if I let myself feel it, it might actually fucking kill me.
So I won’t feel it.
Which is the same thing as not caring at all.
In a practical sense, anyway.
Still, my heart bellyflops when she trips on her way across the street. Ronan’s having none of that, thank God, because she’s barely wobbled before he has her over his shoulder, swatting her perfect ass while he carts her to the sidewalk.
“Careful, baby girl.”
